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Friday, March 31, 2017

Solaire's Fresh: a delectable buffet experience

Solaire Resort and Casino boasts of one of the top buffet restaurants in Manila. Its intercontinental selection and exquisite main course choices boast of imported and high quality ingredients. Hence, my excitement was at its peak when I tried out a good number of these delectable dishes.

For starters, the buffet venue was an elegant and fashionable locale with a variety of glass fixtures, ambient lighting, and spacious tables. Furthermore, the excellent dining space was adorned with a sound system that plays in-house hotel music from a pianist. They also have tens of attendants to assist guests with drinks, food, and other small requests. Given these examples, I was pretty sure that the 5-star experience was with our brief stay.

The buffet selection had a variety of drinks to begin with. The juices were composed of the mixed fruit drink, the elder iced tea, and the mocktail. I liked the mix fruit drink the most due to the sweet fruity taste. The wine selection, on the other hand, was a much more extensive set, with 5 bottles on display. These ranged from Argentenian to Portuguese to Italian selections. I had quite a number of glasses from the excellent selection. They also had champagne and sparkling water to top it off. I also appreciated the fine taste of their champagne. Hard drinkers also had a bucket of Smirnoff mule waiting for them.

Drinks aside, I went to the Chinese selection table to explore what they had to offer. I was satisfied at the presence of Roast Duck and Macau style pork belly. The duck, even if it was full of bones, had that signature fatty taste. The hoisin sauce only enhanced the already flavorful taste. The pork belly, on the other hand, was excellent with ginger sauce. It was very crispy even when cold.

The hot pot selection was pretty limited, but the myriads of mixes that one can do with these ingredients are appetizing. I tried mine with an all meat ensemble: asado, pork belly, spices, garlic, leeks, and squid balls. What came out was a delightful mix of spices and meaty flavors.

Not ending there, I tried their sumptuous selection of meat carvings. I had samples of the Crispy Lechon, the Sirloin, the roast chicken, and the Baked Ribs. The Lechon had a very crunchy skin which was sinful yet delightful. The meat itself was brimming with fat. Hence, I truly liked the composition of the Lechon. The Sirloin was served medium rare with a reddish meat to boot. It blended well with the peppercorn sauce and the mushroom sauce on the side. The Baked Ribs had meat which was easy to pull out from the bones. The barbecue marinade only served to enhance the exquisite quality of the ribs. The Roast chicken was good with the gravy sauce.

The coup de grace of the night was the unlimited lobster. This was Fresh's crowning glory. The price of Php 2300 for the buffet was very much deserved due to this fact. All night long, some of the freshest imported lobsters were in the buffet tray or served directly to our tables. The lobsters were boiled and served with vinegar. They also had different servings for the lobster such as a pasta version, where freshly cooked ones were served atop pasta with tomato sauce. I was able to finish a good number of the lobster tails without difficulty due to the great presentation and taste.

I then sampled their dessert selection. I enjoyed the Solaire signature cake which was a delightful mousse cake overloaded with chocolate. It was cut into generous slices wherein a diner can have his fill of the taste and texture of the wonderful concoction. I also sampled their crema de fruita, almond tart, and black forest cake. The crema was a small yet flavorful array of creme and mixed fruits. The almond tart was a meticulously baked tart with an almond overload. The cake, while quite plain, was a mix of chocolate and vanilla flavors. An ice cream bar was also present, yet I figured that the taste was quite plain.

In sum however, I found Fresh to be a delightful experience due to the sumptuousness of most of their food. I also loved the ambient interiors and the accomodating staff. Fresh is located at Solaire Hotel, Pasay City.